


Our Future Filled With Hope

by BridgetMcKennitt



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Developing Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-01
Updated: 2013-07-01
Packaged: 2017-12-13 07:20:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/821551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BridgetMcKennitt/pseuds/BridgetMcKennitt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were always in it together. Now they were more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Future Filled With Hope

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chiana606](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiana606/gifts).



It all started with the Newsies strike when they were kids. Actually, it started with Jack Kelly whispering in his ear that his words were amazing and he could go far with his mouth. Since Jack was friends with the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, he used his friendship to help David out in a career in politics.

It wasn't big times in the beginning. When Teddy campaigned first as a vice president, he brought the boys along with him to run word of mouth about him and McKinley in the streets. They made a little more than they did as Newsies, and got free room and board out of it, but the best part was standing side by side with Teddy and listening to his words. Jack was right there with him, and promised that someday, that'd be him.

Now eleven years later, when they're both 30 year old men, David was running for Governor of New York. David thought it'd be a good idea to follow in Teddy's political footsteps.

"You're gonna be great, Dave," Jack said as he rechecked David's election posters. "You were once a poor Newsie just trying to make a living to help your family and now look at you. You're gonna get elected into office and make a difference."

David smiled as he stepped behind Jack to observe what he was doing. There were pencil scratches on the poster rough draft, as if Jack couldn't make up his mind on what he wanted, but David knew Jack wouldn't give up until he got it right. "If it wasn't for you, I don't think I would have gotten so far in my career. Thank you."

Jack looked up at him and flashed him his cowboy grin. "This is all on you and your mouth. I'm just along for the ride. Now what do you think about this slogan? How can we jazz it up?"

David took a closer look at the slogan and verbally changed the wording, with Jack writing in the new one on the poster. "That's good. Get it to print as soon as you have a clean mockup." David sat on the edge of Jack's desk. "So I was thinking of getting dinner. You should come with me."

Jack leaned back and intertwined his fingers across his chest. He smiled. "Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"And where does the soon to be Governor of New York want to eat dinner?"

"There's a diner we could eat at around the corner. I know you like their shakes."

Jack laughed and smacked his palm on the table. "All right, you've convinced me. Just let me clean up and I'll meet you out front."

David clasped Jack on his shoulder before going to grab his wallet and jacket. They were the only ones left in his campaign office this late, but that was normal. Nobody wanted to see David win more than Jack, and David couldn't let Jack be the only one working into the late hours of the evening alone. Five minutes later, Jack jogged up to David as he shrugged his jacket over his shoulders.

"Let's go. I'm starving."

It didn't take long for them to reach the 24-hour diner and David opened the door to let Jack in ahead of him. Jack rolled his eyes and led them to a corner booth. There were already menus on the table and as David slid into his side of the booth, he grabbed one and opened it. "Get whatever you want. I'm paying."

"Because you're always trying to feed me. Not that I'm going to complain." Jack raised his arm to flag a waitress. "Can you get me whatever is the most expensive item on the menu please? And a vanilla shake."

David chuckled as he shook his head. "Cheeseburger and fries please, and water for the both of us. Thanks."

The waitress took their order and left. David leaned forward with his arms on the table. "I know you have something to say. You've been wanting to say it all day. I can see it in your eyes. So spill."

"I was thinking about the debate with your opponent next week. You should spearhead your speech with poverty issues. After all, who better to know about poverty than a boy who grew up poor in New York?"

David rolled his eyes at Jack just as the waitress returned with their glasses of water. "Stop trying to avoid my line of questioning. You know what I mean, and don't try lecturing me on my platform issues. I know what I need to say."

There were very few times in the years David had known Jack that he looked cornered or scared, and this was one of those times. David did not like that. He reached across the table and placed his hand over Jack's. "Hey," he said. "Relax. It's just you and me, Jack. There's nothing you could say to me that will ever change the fact that we have gone through hell and high water, and we're still strongly bonded. So what is on your mind?"

Jack let out a bitter laugh, but did not pull away from David's hand. It was a good sign. "There is something on my mind, yeah, but it can wait until after dinner. Okay? When it's just the two of us back at your apartment."

"Okay, that sounds good."

They chatted about mundane things like sports and the weather until their food arrived. David's cheeseburger tasted delicious and he inquired about Jack's steak.

Jack looked up from slicing off a piece from the whole and grinned. "It tastes expensive. You should try some."

"No thanks. That's all for you." Halfway through his steak, Jack abandoned it for his milkshake. He swirled his straw around in the cup before taking it in his mouth. "I knew it, all you wanted was the milkshake."

"Nah, that wasn't it. I wanted the milkshake _and_ the most expensive item on the menu, just so you had to pay for it. Come on, governor, if you don't know what the people want, how are you going to make them happy?"

"Sheer willpower. And you're just not people, you're family." David dug his wallet out of his coat pocket and dropped a few bills on the table to cover their meal plus tip. "Let's get out of here."

They left the diner and headed towards David's apartment. His place wasn't in some ritzy location nor was it in the poor residence of their childhood. Jack once told him that his apartment was just like him, something real. David wasn't sure what that meant, but he took it as a compliment. He unlocked his door and let Jack inside.

"Sit wherever. I'll grab us some beers." David made his way into his small kitchen while Jack threw his jacket over the side of the couch and sat down on it. He came back and offered one of the beers to Jack.

"Thanks, buddy." Jack raised his beer towards David before drinking it.

"You're welcome." David sat down next to Jack and drank some of his own beer. "Now that we're here, let's talk."

"Let's talk," Jack said, echoing the words. "Now don't freak out."

"That's not the best way to start, but okay. Not freaking out."

Jack chuckled and ran his hand over his face. "Yeah, well. This is hard for me to say. I like you."

"I like you, too."

Immediately, Jack shook his head. "Not like friends. Okay, I appreciate our friendship, but not like friends. I like you." He said the words slower.

There was a sincerity shining in Jack's eyes that made David realize exactly what Jack meant. It wasn't something spoken about aloud in proper circles, but there were men out there who felt like Jack did. David thought he'd feel revulsion, but there was no such feeling inside him. Quite the opposite.

He realized Jack waited in silence for some sort of response from him and David cleared his throat. "You like me."

"I do." Jack eyed him.

David shrugged before taking a drink of his beer once more. "Good." He placed his beer down on his coffee table before leaning forward and placing a kiss on Jack's cheek. He sat back and waited.

He didn't have to wait long. Jack let out a curse before jumping to his feet. "What the hell was that, Dave?"

"What? I thought you said you liked me. I was just showing you how I felt."

Jack laughed as he shook his head. "I've always said you had a mouth, and I was right. I just didn't think you could use it more than just for talking."

"You do realize this can't get out beyond the two of us, right? I'm running for governor."

"You don't think I know that? I've been with you every step of the way for most of our lives. I'm not going to ruin your career, not when you're going to be president one day."

David got to his feet and placed his hands on Jack's shoulders. "Hey, relax. You're not going to ruin my career. I just want you to know the gravity of the situation before we go any further. Because you've been with me every step of the way, no one is going to question our late nights together or one of us having to sleep over at the other's place. No one will question when I take you with me on every campaign all the way to the presidency. But can you deal with not revealing our relationship or kissing me in public?"

"I've been with you this long, I can handle anything." Jack met David's gaze. "So you really want to do this?"

"I am if you are." What he said seemed to settle Jack because David saw tension leave Jack's shoulders. "So let's sit back down and work out logistics. I've never been in a relationship and you got dumped by my sister when we were kids, so let's do this right."

"I've got the balls and you've got the mouth. We'll be fine."

David groaned at Jack's choice of wording, but they sat back down on the couch and Jack placed his arm around David's shoulders. The heat coming off of Jack felt good and David smiled fondly at him. They were always in it together. Now they were more.


End file.
